Jeremiah 1:11-12 – The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

If there is one thing that people really hate (generally) – it is CHANGE. People simply do not like change. They have their own comfort zones and love to stay in it. They will do anything and everything to stay where they are. They will give every excuse in the books to be able to stay where they are. But the reality is that God works in seasons, in people, in families, in churches and in nations and that involves a change. There is a season to sow, there is a season to cry and then there is a season to reap. When God says, son, daughter, it is time for this season to shift; we fight back, because we do not like changes. Of course we do want God to use us, we pray all the time – Lord use me, and when the Lord says “It is Time” for the season to shift – we resist – we bring excuses. Some of us actually flee away in fright.

In order to move out of our past, we must shift. Without shifting, we will remain where we are. When we travel by plane or in a train, we sit on the seat that is assigned for us. But there are times we are offered a better seating. No one can get to this better seat without getting up from where they have been and shifting to the new location. A shifting ensures that you get that which has been assigned for you.

God must break our nest for anything good to happen

Deuteronomy 32:11 – like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.

An eagle applies a trick in order to teach it’s little ones how to fly. Now mind you, an eagle’s nest is always built in heights – they never make their nest close to the ground. The little eaglets become very comfy and refuse to learn how to fly. The mother eagle has a little trick that always works. She breaks the nest and in turn throws the eaglet in thin air. Oh what a heartless act – right?? So it would seem. But as the baby is quickly hurtling towards the earth flapping its wings, the mother eagle will swoop under it and carry it back to the heights.

At times shifting becomes so hard that God has to end up breaking our nests – our comfort zones. Friends if it is God that has shifted or broken your comfort zones please do not be afraid. He will not let your foot to be dashed against the rocks. Nothing wrong is going to happen to you. God has this under control. Just submit and surrender to His will.

As a church, we are leaving an old season and shifting into a new season. God desires to give us insight to see our new season; He wants us to be able to see beyond the present circumstances and the present changes that are going on and He wants to enable us to be able to see into the divine future and the divine season that He has already all ready for us.

When we are shifting into a new season, we will face doubts, fears, and speculations. We might even end up giving lots of excuses just like Jeremiah did.

Shift in Season – In Jeremiah’s Life

Jeremiah 1:4-6 — 4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

This call set the tone for Jeremiah’s long life. Jeremiah was born in a priestly family Jeremiah began his work around 627 B.C. during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet and for good reason. Because of the personal anguish he knew in his ministry, witnessed the utter destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple that he, like other godly Jews, loved He underwent great hardships and trials for the message which he delivered. The message he had to deliver was not a popular one. We often see the picture of him weeping because of the fate of Israel.

The dominant theme of Jeremiah is that of national sinfulness and looming judgment. Jeremiah’s 40-year ministry spanned the final days of Judah’s existence as an independent nation. Obeying his call, he urged his countrymen to surrender to Babylon, whom God showed him to be the instrument of His chastisement sent to discipline God’s people. Such a demand could be viewed only as treason. As a result he was hated as a traitor to his people, and his life was often threatened. Yet Jeremiah lived to see his words come true. So Jeremiah was imprisoned, his life threatened, and his ministry constantly rejected by God’s people. Jeremiah lived and ministered under a succession of kings: first, godly King Josiah, and then a series of ungodly rulers: Jehoiakim, Jehoahaz, Johoiachin, Zedekiah, and Gedaliah.

Although this sounds like a successful ministry, it did not start that easy. The Lord had some convincing to do before he could be launched in to the ministry as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah had a very hard time shifting or accepting a new season of usefulness in his life. The Lord had to point out several truths in Jeremiah

He knew Him even before he was formed in the mother’s womb

I have set you apart – you are special

I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

When God was trying to take him into his next season, Jeremiah was only trying to figure out excuses:

I am only a child – I am too young

Lord I am not an orator – I do not know how to speak

Jeremiah was concerned that he did not have the eloquence enough so people would take him seriously Lord, you see since my message is kind of hard, can you give me a booming voice so people would take me seriously. When God was pointing to Jeremiah what he should do – Jeremiah was busy pointing out why he cannot do that. When the Lord revealed to Jeremiah his future and his time to shift into a new season, Jeremiah could not see it at first.

Shift in Season – In Mosses’ life When God called mosses for his ministry in the wilderness, he could not look past his inabilities and weakness

When Jeremiah was focusing on his inabilities and weaknesses, God was focusing in his Potential. God was calling him forth as a prophet, and Jeremiah could only focus on his weaknesses. Isn’t that like us, especially, whenever we can’t see? I love God’s perspective or persistence with Jeremiah. No matter what excuses Jeremiah gave God, concerning his calling and His new season God continued to speak to Jeremiah’s potential.

Many a times we do the very same things that Jeremiah did. When God says son, daughter, it is time for you to move to the next level, it is time to move to the next season, we build walls, we build barriers, we make excuses, and we try to bench-press our way out of it. We say Lord, I cannot do it,

I am too busy,

I am only a child: When did God call Samuel – when he was only a child

I am not a good orator – Mosses was not a good orator, God changed him

I do not have enough knowledge

They will never take me seriously.

When God says it is time – we do not see Him eye to eye. We have our fears, we have our problems, we try to glorify our trials – we do everything to get out of God’s way. We fail to see God eye to eye on matters that count the most. We fail to see things through the eyes of God

Seeing things through the eyes of God

God’s Perspective,

God’s viewpoints

Life is a matter of perspective; do you follow your perspective or God’s?

If we could see as God sees, we would know thatmost human fears never materialize. Most of the things most of us spend most of our time worrying over are never going to happen anyway. So we waste energy and weaken ourselves for the day’s task. Maybe this is why Jesus said:

Mathew 6:24 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If we could see as God sees, we would realize thatno problem that cannot be conquered.In our gloomier moments of financial stress, illness, or family problems, we brood over questions without answers. But the promise of Scripture stands:

1 Corinthians 10:13 – …God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

If we could see as God sees, we would understand thatno trial comes without a blessing attached. It cannot be seen in advance. In our perplexity, we doubt that anything good can come from a heartache. But the half-brother of Jesus put the divine pledge this way:

James 1:2-4 — 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If we could see as God sees, we would know that pain always signals the possibility for growth. Although we sigh for a world free of stress, we know deep inside that such a world would produce calloused and unfeeling people. “Endure hardship as discipline,” (Hebrew 12:7) wrote the unnamed author of Hebrews. “Discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God has given us the certain knowledge through Jesus that the meaning of all that happens here is found in realities we have never seen. To see through his eyes and to live on the basis of his promises is the meaning of a life of faith.

We need Grace to see things through the eyes of God

God’s Perspective,

God’s viewpoints

Man’s perspective will bind us where God’s Perspective will Free us: His perspective would set us free to really live. It will empower us. It Will launch us into the next step in God’s schema of things

Friends, no matter what that weakness is that is holding you back from moving into your next season, we need God’s grace to move forward.

2 Corinthians 12:9: — …My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

His grace is sufficient for me! In fact His strength is made perfect in our weakness. So it does not matter what they are, it may be fear, it may be lack of eloquence, it may be you feel you are only a child, it may be that you think you do know have enough bible knowledge – Seek God’s grace

Supernatural Empowerment and enablement come from the Lord

Jeremiah 1:7-10 – 7 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

The Lord had to touch Jeremiah’s mouth so that he had a good confession concerning his future. You know, we can say different things about our future, our own self, and we can look to our past and say, “Well my past was this and that,” and determine our future according to our past. But God had to touch Jeremiah’s mouth so that his confession would be that of what God’s potential and what God had determined his future was going to be like.

These days there is great emphasis on looks and eloquence even in ministry. People look out for “Anointed” Supermen who can sing beautifully, preach magnificently. More than eloquence – we need the word from the Lord.

The Lord is saying the same thing to you and to me. He is saying, the word of breakthrough for our new season is in our mouth; – in your own mouth, – in your mind – in your heart, so that you can do it. You can do it! The word that can bring about a change in the loves of many around us is in your mouth – Receive it in Jesus Name! Get rid of all the doubts and barriers and excuses. Receive it this day!

Jeremiah finally agrees and sees what God sees

Jeremiah 1:11-12 – The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

Finally Jeremiah was convinced that God truly was going to empower him and use him. He starts seeing things through the eyes of God. The Hebrew for “Almond” also means “watching”. The Lord is watching that every word that He has spoken will come to past. The only thing we have to do is agree with God and see thing through the eyes of God.

A New Season – A Season of Usefulness

Friends, a new season is upon us, as individuals, as families and a church. There is a shift we are going through – God is taking us somewhere where we have not been. I can feel it very powerfully inside of me. God is calling you for His ministry – it could be fulltime of part-time. Nevertheless, you cannot run away from Him. You cannot run away from the hound of heaven. Jonah found it was futile. There are some in our midst that have been running away from the call of God. We have been making excuses after excuses. We have been trying to run away from God and his holy calling which is so powerful on us. Some are saying, I am only a child, some are saying, Lord, I just bought a field, I am busy, Lord, I just bought a bull, I must try it out. Some are saying “I do not have the eloquence”. Some are saying “I do not have enough biblical knowledge”

When we look at our inadequacies, God looks at our potential. We must train ourselves to see things through the eyes of God – then we will see the potential that He sees in us. We would then see the “World changer” He sees in us.

Train our eyes to see things as God does

Through Faith, Hope & Confidant: The hope that comes through knowing I have a part in God’s plan… The hope that comes through knowing that God’s will and purpose will be done in this world… The hope that comes through knowing that while I’m here on this earth, I can make a difference… God wants to use you; in spite of all the craziness, he wants to use me to make a difference in this world… Salt of the earth, light of the world… a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. That’s your role in this world.

Jeremiah. 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s workmanship (Masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Example of Abraham: The Lord asked him to take his son and sacrifice him. …

Through Prayer – in Spirit: When Jesus was in this world, it was important that He would do exactly what the Father in Heaven instructs Him to do. In order to ensure this, we can see Jesus spending hours, night’s days in prayer. Through prayer, we can see the things through the eyes of God. According to Romans 8:26-27, as we pray, the Holy Spirit joins us in that experience, interceding for us according to the will of God. The Spirit of God connects with our spirit. And God’s Spirit has a chance to help us to see ourselves as we really should. If you really want to see yourself with the eyes of God, pray. Become a person of prayer. And self-delusion will become less and less of a problem.

Through the Word of God: This is the most important sight of all. Without seeing God through the window of Scripture, we’re gonna blunder

Jeremiah 1:17-18 – 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

The time for excuses was over. God told Jeremiah to get ready, to get up and do what he had been told to do. God said it was time out for being terrified about what people would say or do. He didn’t promise that it would be easy. Actually He said that the people would fight against him. But it is all about who is on your side. He compared Jeremiah to a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall. God promised that Jeremiah would not be overcome and that he would be rescued by God.

No more excuses! God understands that you have fears and that the assignments that He has given you are not easy. But you have been equipped with all you need to accomplish what God has appointed you to do.

What is your reaction to this statement?

What are you going to do to get ready and to stand up? Pray and ask God to help you tap into the strength that He has already given you.

Psalms 57:2 – I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

It is God who fulfills His purpose in me. He is the one who has created us with a purpose. He will surely fulfill it in me.

Psalms 119: 49 & 50 — Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. In this life filled with vanity and meaninglessness, the only thing that gives us hope and comfort and makes sense is the promises of God.

Psalms 119: 38 – Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.